Chris Harris

This is the incredible moment a drunk man was just seconds from death after lying down in the middle of a British road.

A quick-thinking bus driver on the Isle of Wight – off the southern coast of England – managed to stop his vehicle just in time.

The footage – taken from the front of the bus and released by police to highlight the dangers of excessive drinking – shows the man spread-eagled in the centre of the road.

Britain’s culture of binge drinking is estimated to cost its national health service around £2.7 billion (€3.25bn), with 7% of all hospital admissions alcohol-related. A Europe-wide study in 2010 found Britons were the most intense drinkers out of 27 EU nations, drinking more booze in one sitting than all of their continental neighbours.

“Imagine the devastating impact this incident could have had on others if it were not for the amazing reactions of the bus driver.

“We have released the video with the kind permission of Southern Vectis to encourage safer behaviour. Whether a pedestrian or road user, please keep yourself safe on the roads, because sometime you need to expect the unexpected.”

A spokesman for Southern Vectus, the company whose bus was involved in the incident, said: “The driver’s quick thinking actions saved this guy’s life, but just a second or two later could have been a different story. Please keep yourself and others safe when enjoying a night out.”